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November 24, 2021 11:09 am  #1


CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

She was known as the Girl With The Golden Ear, choosing hits for the legendary CKLW during the 60s and 70s. And she was renowned for her ability to pick out and schedule huge records before anyone else realized they were future gold. Rosalie Trombley, the station's onetime music director, has died at age 82.

Her influence on those Top 40 days is undeniable. What an amazing person and an equally incredible career.  

Legendary radio hitmaker Rosalie Trombley dead at 82


 

 

November 24, 2021 12:38 pm  #2


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

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November 24, 2021 4:04 pm  #3


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

She taught me so much at Key 590.  Truly a sad day in radio.  

 

November 24, 2021 4:43 pm  #4


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

The Detroit News offers an illustration of how humble and fair she was. Imagine anyone doing this now. 

"Carl Galeana, who was a rep for TK Records out of Miami, recalled bringing her the Anita Ward disco record “Ring My Bell” for consideration.

“Rosalie listened to 39 seconds, and then threw it in the garbage can!” Yes, the actual trash can. After that, a crushed Galeana threw all 50 copies of “Ring My Bell” into his own trash, figuring that if Rosalie wouldn’t play it, nobody would.

“A week later, she called me to tell me it was exploding in the clubs, and can I bring her a few copies.” The panicked record rep had to call Miami to have a box of records put on a passenger plane and flown to Detroit, in those pre-Fed X days.

"It was all part of the game. She may not like a record, but if she was wrong, she’d add it. "

Detroit News: Influential Windsor radio legend Rosalie Trombley dead at 82

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November 24, 2021 6:08 pm  #5


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

Rosalie helped to make CKLW possibly the most influential top 40 music radio station in North America in the late 60's and well into the 70's.  She was very much respected in the industry and was responsible for helping many artists and groups get started in their careers. She really was the first and one of a kind.  But beyond that, she could spot a hit record. 

Sort of like unknown comedians that got a big break with the first appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.  If Rosalie Trombley gave a new band or artist some airplay on CKLW, their career was about to change, and only for the better. 

Last edited by paterson1 (November 24, 2021 6:21 pm)

 

November 24, 2021 8:21 pm  #6


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

Working with her at CKEY was like watching a legend walk into the control room every time.

 

November 24, 2021 10:45 pm  #7


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

The Detroit Free Press is the first to confirm that she died in a long-term care home from complications of Alzheimer's disease. It is so sad to think of all that musical knowledge lost to such a terrible memory-destroying ailment. What a tragic ending. But what a great life that came before it.

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November 25, 2021 2:51 pm  #8


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

Far as I can tell it was only Detroit media that mentioned what she died from and confined to long term care.   WDIV in Detroit also said the same as the Free Press.  Local media in Windsor to their credit simply said that she passed away peacefully at 82.  Nice that CTV National News had a story on Rosalie last night. When she received her special JUNO award in 2016, she was unable to attend because of poor health, and her son mentioned that she had Alzheimers. 

 

November 25, 2021 3:48 pm  #9


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

John Moore spoke about Trombley for a few minutes this morning on his Newstalk 1010 show - a nice idea to do that.

 

November 25, 2021 3:50 pm  #10


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

AspectRatio wrote:

John Moore spoke about Trombley for a few minutes this morning on his Newstalk 1010 show - a nice idea to do that.

Yep. Not often you hear a CKLW jingle on 1010, but it happened on his show. 

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November 27, 2021 10:28 am  #12


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

The CBC should be ashamed of the dearth of information in that article.     Hardly inspiring.    Thanks to the Detroit Free Press for a much better one:  
CKLW's Rosalie Trombley, hit-record power broker and music industry giant, dies at 82

 

November 27, 2021 12:35 pm  #13


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

Here is an interesting video from 1992 when Rosalie was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.  Some background information on her and CKLW.  Sounds like  Tom River's did the voiceover for this.
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=-2cXEZTPSMc

 

November 28, 2021 11:17 am  #14


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

It's quite amazing to hear how many radio stations have actually made note of this, especially concerning CKLW isn't exactly a household name in these parts and I'm willing to bet most GTA listeners have never heard of Rosealie Trombley. That, plus the one thing radio almost never covers is radio. (Newspapers are also guilty of ignoring the medium.) 

So it was a pleasant surprise to hear the voice of Big 8 great Pat Holiday reminiscing about the Girl with the Golden Ear on Dave Trafford's CFRB morning show Sunday. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear this is being put up online, but it was a nice touch in any event, especially when you consider even 'LW listeners back in its Top 40 glory days probably weren't even aware who she was or of her importance in the evolution of the station.

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November 29, 2021 12:18 pm  #15


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

SOWNY member and legendary CHUM producer Doug Thompson has penned a nice piece on this radio legend, gathering memories from such stalwarts as Pat Holiday, Bob Seger and former CHUM jock Pat "Scott Carpenter" Bergin.

Rosalie Trombley: “Everybody’s Favorite Little Record Girl”

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December 2, 2021 11:32 pm  #16


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

Pat Holiday has also posted a terrific video about the history of Rosalie Trombley at CKLW. His intro is a bit lengthy, but the video itself starts at the 7:40 mark. It features a host of great interviews, including Keith Radford, Walt Baby Love, Holiday himself and artists who owe her a lot, including Tony Orlando, who credits her with being the first to play "Tie A Yellow Ribbon," his biggest hit. 

Not sure of the origin of the video, but it's terrific. 

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December 3, 2021 1:42 am  #17


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

Rosalie touched so many lives, there can't be any one person who knows or will know all the
'Rosalie stories,' but anybody lucky enough to spend any time with her will never forget her.
You can be sure she'll bring lots of laughs and shake things up in her humble way in Rock & Roll Heaven.

 

December 3, 2021 7:17 pm  #18


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

geo wrote:

The Globe 'n Mail's Brad Wheeler pens wonderful obituaries, but nothing this week.    Perhaps he's too young or maybe someone there feels their readership is too young

Pity

The Globe often prints obits weeks, sometimes months after the fact. And yes, they are very good. The age of the writer has nothing to do with it.
 


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

December 4, 2021 6:51 pm  #19


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December 4, 2021 8:23 pm  #20


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

It has been mentioned many times how Bob Seeger's song Rosalie was never played on CKLW.  She threatened to quit if the song was ever played on the station.  But what is interesting is that CKLW did play the cancon hit Rosalie by Michael Tarry that came out the same year (1973) as the Seeger composition.  Michael Tarry's song was also a hitbound on the Big 8 in the summer of 1973.  Naturally Tarry's song was totally different and had nothing to do with CKLW's famous music director...
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=L24NO59agqc

 

December 19, 2021 8:02 am  #21


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

An excellent, better-late-than-never obituary incl. interesting photos on pg. 23 (front section) of today's print-edition New York Times

 

December 19, 2021 10:26 am  #22


Re: CKLW Legend Rosalie Trombley Gone At 82

geo wrote:

An excellent, better-late-than-never obituary incl. interesting photos on pg. 23 (front section) of today's print-edition New York Times

Here it is, minus most of the pics. 

https://clearthis.page/?u=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/arts/music/rosalie-trombley-dead.html

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